Pick your 2020 Olympic Roster

[Shaqdaddy11]

Did Greece even qualify? I know this Canada club kicked their ass a few days ago. Not saying they would have kicked everybody ass but yeah they would qualify. Murray is a top 25 player in the best league in the world and SGA is a top 30ish player.....that makes a huge difference and this doesn't even include guys like Brooks, KO, and Tristan

Yep, we're playing that "they would have" game again.

Lakers would be playing the Nets in the Finals right now if all players "would have been healthy"

Fact is they're not, and the Lakers aren't hanging any banners in the rafters for winning two whole games in the 2021 playoffs.

Nor are the Canadians travelling to Tokyo.

 

[bksballer89]

Yep, we're playing that "they would have" game again.

Lakers would be playing the Nets in the Finals right now if all players "would have been healthy"

Fact is they're not, and the Lakers aren't hanging any banners in the rafters for winning two whole games in the 2021 playoffs.

Nor are the Canadians travelling to Tokyo.

Got it but we have to be real here. Unless it is team USA, there isn't a single country who can deal with missing 6 (including your 2 best) of their top 8-10 players.

Fact is they're not going to Tokyo but what is also a fact is that when my comment was made, Canada roster was shaping up to look much differently than it did this season

 

[bksballer89]

The late end to the NBA season ruining lots of teams olympics hopes.

Serbia with no Jokic was knocked out. Greece with no Giannis is getting killed and won't qualify either

 

[logic]

Would Oladipo even play or do you just want him for moral support?

That list was made in Feb of 2020 when Oladipo was in much better condintion

 

[bksballer89]

Clearly you were right on Canada. And I wasn’t in this.

Will say though, can’t always evaluate overall strength of an international team by how many NBA players they have.

Euro pros who play together all the time can compete with poorly fitting USA basketball all star rosters who don’t play together.

That is what happened to USA in the worlds. Don’t know about Canada, but sounds like perhaps a similar dynamic with worse players.

Basically all of Canada best players did not participate due to injuries or other reasons. It is the only reason they didn't qualify

This is what most thought Canada roster would look like back in 2020

Point Guard S. Gilgeous-Alexander C. Joseph
Wing J. Murray RJ Barrett
Wing A. Wiggins D. Brooks M. Ejim
Frontcourt K. Olynyk B. Clarke C. Boucher
Frontcourt T. Thompson K. Birch

This is what they got instead

G	Nickeil Alexander-Walker	Pelicans
G	RJ Barrett	Knicks
G	Trae Bell-Haynes	Crailsheim Merlins (Germany)
G	Luguentz Dort	Thunder
G	Cory Joseph	Pistons
G	Mychal Mulder	Warriors
G	Andrew Wiggins	Warriors
F	Anthony Bennett	Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico)
F	Aaron Doornekamp	Tenerife (Spain)
F	Andrew Nicholson	Fujian Sturgeons (China)
F	Dwight Powell	Mavericks
C	Trey Lyles	Spurs

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Basically all of Canada best players did not participate due to injuries or other reasons. It is the only reason they didn't qualify

This is what most thought Canada roster would look like back in 2020

Point Guard S. Gilgeous-Alexander C. Joseph
Wing J. Murray RJ Barrett
Wing A. Wiggins D. Brooks M. Ejim
Frontcourt K. Olynyk B. Clarke C. Boucher
Frontcourt T. Thompson K. Birch

This is what they got instead

G	Nickeil Alexander-Walker	Pelicans
G	RJ Barrett	Knicks
G	Trae Bell-Haynes	Crailsheim Merlins (Germany)
G	Luguentz Dort	Thunder
G	Cory Joseph	Pistons
G	Mychal Mulder	Warriors
G	Andrew Wiggins	Warriors
F	Anthony Bennett	Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico)
F	Aaron Doornekamp	Tenerife (Spain)
F	Andrew Nicholson	Fujian Sturgeons (China)
F	Dwight Powell	Mavericks
C	Trey Lyles	Spurs

Other than maybe Jamal Murray and SGA, none of the injured players are above average NBA players

Kelly Olynyk and Tristan Thompson aren't going to deliver them to the promised land. Stop it.

 

[bksballer89]

Other than maybe Jamal Murray and SGA, none of the injured players are above average NBA players

Kelly Olynyk and Tristan Thompson aren't going to deliver them to the promised land. Stop it.

Dillon Brooks is really good but I mean if you don't see the drastic difference between the projected roster last year and what they actually sent then this is a pointless convo. Kelly and Tristan may be avg players but they are better than 7-8 of the players that they sent to qualify for the olympics

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Dillon Brooks is really good but I mean if you don't see the drastic difference between the projected roster last year and what they actually sent then this is a pointless convo. Kelly and Tristan may be avg players but they are better than 7-8 of the players that they sent to qualify for the olympics

I'm also looking at the team that beat them - the Czech republic. Their best player averages 7ppg for the Chicago Bulls

Not exactly the 1992 Dream Team

 

[bksballer89]

I'm also looking at the team that beat them - the Czech republic. Their best player averages 7ppg for the Chicago Bulls

Not exactly the 1992 Dream Team

I mean I agree with that but do we really expect much if anything out of an Andrew Wiggins led team?

But yeah that's a game they have to win. Wiggins and RJ should have been enough

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

I mean I agree with that but do we really expect much if anything out of an Andrew Wiggins led team?

But yeah that's a game they have to win. Wiggins and RJ should have been enough

Look, i'm not trying to shit on the Canadian team - I just think other teams are just better.

The world is quickly catching up to the USA when it comes in talent. There were more European players in the NBA First team this year than there were Americans. There hasn't been an American NBA MVP since 2017/18

I'd take a Greek team with Giannis or a Slovenian team with Luka over a healthy Canadian team any day.

 

[trojanfan12]

After reading the last couple of pages or so of this thread I have learned 2 things...

1. @Shaqdaddy11 was right.

The rest of y'all was

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

After reading the last couple of pages or so of this thread I have learned 2 things...

1. @Shaqdaddy11 was right.

The rest of y'all was

 

[msgkings322]

Check out Luka, just rode in and took the Slovenian team to the Olympics. Some fun videos of the team messing with him and celebrating...on the Disney site

 

[dtgold88]

Germany didn't have their two best players and qualified.
Greece didn't have Giannis
Serbia didn't have Jokic

Heck, the vast majority of teams qualifying didn't have their best players available.

But yeah, let's go pretend that Canada would have whupped everybodys ass if they were full strength.

no one said would have whooped everyone's ass.....but they likely qualify if some of those players participated. To pretend otherwise is well...you being you.

 

[dtgold88]

Yep, we're playing that "they would have" game again.

Lakers would be playing the Nets in the Finals right now if all players "would have been healthy"

Fact is they're not, and the Lakers aren't hanging any banners in the rafters for winning two whole games in the 2021 playoffs.

Nor are the Canadians travelling to Tokyo.

McFly? Many agree Lakers go further with AD/Lebron both playing and healthy. To claim some sort of win for predicting they'd go out early before knowing those guys would be out would be absurd.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

no one said would have whooped everyone's ass.....but they likely qualify if some of those players participated. To pretend otherwise is well...you being you.

We'll never know. Because they didn't.

What I do know is you owe me a fantastic little av bet so i'll think of something nice for you to display when the new season starts again.

 

[dtgold88]

We'll never know. Because they didn't.

What I do know is you owe me a fantastic little av bet so i'll think of something nice for you to display when the new season starts again.

Don't recall an av bet, but if you can show me I'll pay the "debt".

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Don't recall an av bet, but if you can show me I'll pay the "debt".

Selective memory loss. Seems common around here amongst people who won't admit they were wrong. But seeing as you can't click back three whole pages, here you go:

How about we make this very simple. You tell me how far you think Canada will make it in this year Olympics and i'll probably bet against it.

Easy enough for you, slugger?

sure. Top 12. You in? Gonna back your own words?

Safe to say Canada weren't in the top 12. You were trying to be funny and it backfired.

Can't say I'd care if I lose but I'll put my avi where my mouth is.

 

[dtgold88]

So.....

Looks like a few of you need to pay up

sure do. Pick the avi. Looks like we made it of country's flag in previous posts, but you can come up with something else if you want. wasn't lying when I said I wont care if I lose.

Congrats, though.

 

[dtgold88]

Selective memory loss. Seems common around here amongst people who won't admit they were wrong. But seeing as you can't click back three whole pages, here you go:






Safe to say Canada weren't in the top 12. You were trying to be funny and it backfired.

Can't admit I was wrong? Selective memory loss? Looked myself and found it as well (owned it before seeing your post). Probably forgot because as I said back then wouldn't care if I lost.......and, yeah, wouldn't have remembered if Canada made it and I won.

while I looked, I noticed the one who was wrong a lot in the thread was you as you tried to say medaling was same as top 12 and no one said Canada would medal.